Philips unveils innovative lighting system at Clemson University

In the first installation of it’s kind on a college campus, Philips has unveiled a large-scale lighting project that leverages a Power over Ethernet (PoE) system combined with LED lighting to improve energy efficiency. The system, installed on Clemson University’s South Carolina campus, will deliver up to 70 percent in energy savings.

The interior of the Watt Family Innovation Center at Clemson University, Jan. 7, 2016. (Ken Scar)

According to Philips, “the customized system will provide flexible work spaces that encourage collaboration between faculty and students, [and] optimize space management in the facility.” The Watt Family Innovation Center gathers “historical and real-time anonymous data from each lighting fixture to determine when a room is being used.”

Essentially the lighting is self-monitored, and uses motion-sensors to determine how much activity is happening in a room, and light the space accordingly. Additionally, the system can be controlled entirely from a single software console and allows for remote access via any authorized smartphone or tablet.

Courtesy Philips

Additionally, the center also features “the largest media facade installation in the U.S. using Philips iColor Flex LMX gen2, flexible strands of large high-intensity LED nodes with intelligent color light,” according to Philips, which can be used to display student news, and large graphics to display school spirit. The installation includes more than 45,000 individually controllable light points.